


Where you belong

by TFALokiwriter



Category: Almost Human, Doom (2005), Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Concern, Doom!Trek - Freeform, Dorian!M'Benga, F/M, Gen, M/M, Reaper!Bones, Truth, Worry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-01
Updated: 2016-03-06
Packaged: 2018-05-24 05:07:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6142445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TFALokiwriter/pseuds/TFALokiwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has their 'where they belong' feeling.  Just not on a science vessel. Reaper does not belong there. He can feel it in his bones. It doesn't help that Star Fleet knows and only recruits him for missions that they consider might explode into something more without the proper guidance. Just who the hell suggested him? Oh right. Chris.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Vouched

"But Chris, I don't work on science vessels. You know how those scientists are!" Reaper said. 

"We need someone like you make sure they are in line AND do not get killed." Pike said.

"It is just a simple 'body mutant' vessel, it is not going to be C-24. Compared to C-24, that is child's play!" Reaper said.

"This _is not_ child's play, Reaper," Pike said, shaking his index finger. "You took the oath to save people."

Reaper sighed.

"Right, you got me," Reaper leaned back folding his arms in the chair. "And how long is this mission?"

"One month and two weeks. Is Dorian still living with you?" M'Benga, being Dorian, appeared on screen with a little wave.  "Ah, hello there. You are going to be in charge of Med Bay."

"Yes, sir." Dorian said, with a nod.

"So tell me, what is the name of the ship?" Reaper said.

"Star Fleet took the liberty of naming the ship a name you won't like."  Pike said.

"You are shitting me." Reaper said.

"Wish  I were." Pike said. "Olduvai II."

"Wait a second!" Reaper glared at the screen, his fury rising, and he got up off the chair fuming rage. "YOU HAVE A SHIP NAMED OLDUVAI ALREADY OUT THERE? YOU DO REALIZE HOW ROMULANS ARE LIKELY GOING TO ATTEMPT RANSACKING THE SCIENCE STATIONS AND DEMAND FOR C-24! You know how idiotic Romulans are with naming ships after locations where scientific experiments go wrong!"

Pike sighed.

"It happened already. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news." Pike said.

"Fuck!" Reaper kicked over a chair.

"No one survived." Pike said.

Reaper turned in the direction of Pike.

"So you basically want me to make sure these kids stay alive for a month?" Reaper said.

"And then the ship will be destroyed. Why yes, we do."  Pike said.

Dorian got off-screen.

"I am fine with that happening," Reaper said. "But what they are doing has to be important. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be considered here. So that only mean one thing is going on. Someone is attempting to meddle with genetics in a way that would interest me."  His hands had clenched up into fists. "It is part of the deal for me not being on the run."

Pike sighed.

"I only know they need to be warned off going down your road. Their experiment can veer off to that path. Genetic studies is not as it is cranked up to be these days." Pike leaned back in the chair. "I can't give you the files of the captain and the crew aboard the Olduvai II." Reaper looked in the direction of Dorian then back to Pike. "But what I can tell you is that you'll be back on the _Enterprise_ after the mission is over."

Reaper stared at the screen for the longest time.

"Then we need to tell the Vulcan. Give him clearence to know."

Pike did not seem to be surprised. 

"I will see what I can do," Pike said. "The Olduvai will be approaching the Enterprise in three days. Spock will have clearence to know classified material tomorrow. Pike out."

The screen turned to black.


	2. Telling

Apparently someone thought it was not only a good idea for Spock to know, but also the captain of the _Enterprise_. So they had clearance. They wanted the poster boy to be well aware of someone he thought as a close friend (and truth to say, he was a father figure to the kid looking out for him) and it was optional on Reaper's part to tell him. Reaper paced back and forth in his officer combing through his hair. How would Nurse Chapel react? How would Kirk, someone related to his sister, (of course he was a Grimm), react? He had kept close tabs on the children Samantha had before the incident. Before Olduvai. Before they were seperated and sent into the system. How would Scotty react? React to learning he has been drinking with a immortal? Would they look at him any differently?

Reaper preferred to be Bones.

Just good old Bones.

Doctor Leonard Horatio McCoy, Chief Medical Officer of the  Enterprise, friend and healer of the crew.

But then again, Reaper couldn't shed identities again as everyone around would surely live a hundred plus years. Reaper had seen people he knew turn to dust, become fragile and feeble, including those he worked with as a detective. He didn't have a prosthetic leg anymore since he threw it away after three years of using olive oil became annoying. Dorian easily found where he had lived with some incredible detective work. Reaper never did find out how Dorian discovered where he lived. Perhaps he could cling onto this identity. He sure as hell was not from Georgia (Even though he lived there for a century) and he was certainly not born on Earth. He was born on Olduvai.

In space.

He was literately an alien.

Dorian entered the office.

"You have to tell them, Reaper." Dorian said.

"How do you think they're going to react when they hear I will out live them?" Reaper asked. "Hurt? Dismay? Bitterness? I don't want them to feel what I feel when they leave me behind." He shook his hand. "I am not going to try making anyone here immortal and that is final. They should not live with my curse."

Dorian took Reaper by the shoulders.

"They will understand once they know," Dorian said. "Would you feel comfortable if I were there?"

Reaper nodded.

"I would." Reaper said.

* * *

 

They were in the briefing room. Spock's eyebrow had rose up when Dorian had entered. Kirk was momentarily surprised as the two sat down along side each other.

"What is it?" Kirk asked.

"It is about Olduvai." Reaper said.

"Oh that place where the squad didn't make it out to retrieve genetic hard drives and there was a attack launched onto it." Kirk said.

"There were survivors." Spock said, leaning forward.

"Yes." Reaper said.

"But there weren't any. If there were, it would be in the history books." Kirk said.

Reaper sighed, standing up.

"Hand me the knife." Reaper held out his hand then Dorian handed the random knife to the man who had his sleeve rolled up.

Spock and Kirk's eyes watched Reaper stab the blade into his elbow then yank it forwards where the tip was below the skin allowing blood to come out. He ripped it out of his hand that appeared to be unharmed. Kirk stood up and a silent 'what-the-hell' gasp escaped. Spock's eyebrow went up even further. Reaper dropped the blade to the table now looking upon the young man.

"Two hundred fourteen years ago, eight men, highly specialized marines in the  Rapid Response Tactile Squad, went into Olduvai. I was one of them. I used to hold the rank of Staff Sergeant back then. I was John Grimm. The truth to be told. There wasn't just an attack." Kirk sat down. "There was a experiment gone wrong with the human chromosomes. Chromosome twenty-four. With the right people: it makes them immortal. With the wrong people? It turns them into mutants, ugly ass bastards. My sister injected me with C-24 when I was at the verge of death. Everyone I knew was mutated and I had to kill them. When the UAC disbanded, Star Fleet picked me up and from there, we had a agreement regarding my extra chromosome."

"My name is Dorian,"  Dorian said. "DRN-0167. Retired Police Synthetic, though I highly resent being called synthetic. I am his partner."

"Fascinating." Spock said.

"You were a police officer AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?" Kirk asked.

 "I was a detective in 2047 to 2051, not a police officer." Reaper said.

"No wonder you were so insistent that you speak with the officers." Kirk said

"I do not understand. Is that the only part you are furious about?" Dorian asked, confused.

Kirk stood up.

"You could have told me this earlier." Kirk said.

"That I could not. It was classified and no one outside of Star Fleet is supposed to know.  We don't want another Hell Mary incident." Reaper said.

"Hell Mary of 2246 on Star Base 'Amsterdam'?" Spock asked.

Reaper nodded.

"I was there." Reaper said.

"What else are you hiding from us, Bones?" Kirk asked.

"That is it." Reaper said.

"Did you know my father?" Kirk asked.

There was a pause.

"Briefly," Reaper said. "He was a inspiring man, in some ways, I admired his optimism. Which was a lot like yours. He was the reason why I returned to Star  Fleet Academy. The anniversary of his death. Chris found me sitting on the ledge of a building drowning out my sorrows. . . Jocelyn had taken my little girl in the divorce, so,my life was very shitty back then. This was the day before I met you. I was visiting Riverside for George's anniversary."

Kirk walked out.

"Reaper?" Dorian asked.

"He will get over it." Reaper said.

"Does this story have any relations to the USS Olduvai?" Spock asked.

"In case you see me in two months with blood in my face," Reaper said. "That is correct. If I do not come back, take care of the kid."

There was a slight frown on the Vulcan's face, momentarily,but replaced by the stoic expression.

"Negative," Spock said. "You have told us that you are immortal."

"Immortal has its limits." Dorian said, as Reaper stood there closing his eyes.

"But there are no limits." Spock said.

"He injected his sister with his blood," Dorian picked up the knife then put it into a cleaning dispensery. The table had cleaned itself automatically.  "And she died in a explosion in 2160 in a controlled accident. Working with science was her passion and it killed her. There was a biological contagion that was set to killed a majority of the population. However, Samantha Grimm used her to life to prevent it from killing everyone. Her mistake was working with Klingons claiming to be humans who wanted it for the case of warfare but did not expect to become a biological contagion. She prevented the doctor from going in after her. Or, as well as he says, I prevented him. She had a program set to make sure he didn't follow after her when she went to her death and had it installed into my processor sometime in the time we knew each other.  Tomorrow is the one hundredth anniversary since her death."

Spock looked over toward Reaper.

"I grieve with thee." Spock said.

Reaper's eyes opened.

"You better promise me to watch out for his back." Reaper said.

"My duty is to the crew and the captain." Spock said.

"Listen to me you pointy eared computer, a promise is a promise, because I won't always be there to patch him up!" Reaper gestured over toward the black synthetic android. "Nor will Dorian!"

"Promises cannot always be kept. It is illogical to keep a promise." Spock said.

"Then give your word." Dorian said.

"That is logical." Spock said.

"Then give me your word that I am gone, you will make sure the kid doesn't die. Just like you always do," Reaper said. "He is a Grimm. Not a red shirt."

"I give my word." Spock said, with a nod.

Reaper had a thankful expression on his face then he went out of the room.

"What would you like to know about McCoy that he has not told?" Dorian asked.

"Everything." Spock said.


	3. Reassurence

Night hours fell upon the _Enterprise_ and most of the crew members retired to their quarters while the night shift rolled on. Kirk was dealing with the knowledge that Reaper would outlive him, easily, never age, and never look a day over twenty-six.  He pictured Spock, himself, and Reaper swinging into their retirement years aging together. Now this? It was heart breaking. It occurred to Kirk that Reaper will be left behind. Spock was staring at the ceiling with his arm wrapped around Nyota's shoulder with a blanket covering their lower body parts. He was combing through the events of the day. The botched mission interrupted by Romulans. Learning Reaper's secret. Being told everything that Reaper hadn't told.

A sigh escaped the Vulcan.

It was a sad kind of one.

Knowing what he knew.

Sadness; Spock registered that as a emotion.

He couldn't tell Nyota why. Nyota had one arm on his chest. For so long Spock believed he would be the one to out live everyone else for he was a Vulcan. But he was wrong. Reaper would out live them and himself.  If only there were a cure. Dorian had told him the stories of how Reaper sought out for the cure. And how there turned out to be no cure at all for his curse. He was responsible for Hell Mary. Two hundred people died save for the captain and his bridge crew and a highly specialized individual sent by Star Fleet to carry out a task. He had to have clearance to tell Nyota and to speak about it.

It hurt not to tell her.

Not even through their bonded link together.

Now he understood what Reaper felt when serving alongside them.

Sad.

* * *

Reaper awoke listening to the internal heating system of Dorian and he could hear the cool, comforting voice of the android, "It is okay,John.  I am here, you are safe. Everyone is alive." He rubbed the backside of the man sitting in the bed with Reaper on his chest. He had that nightmare again. The nightmare where everyone died except for him freely floating in space seeing their corpses and it terrified him so.

"Thank you."  Reaper said.

"You are my partner," Dorian said. "You would have done the same if I were human."

Some nights they were talk and talk, about random subjects, dissect his dreams and find their meaning for shits and giggles. Dorian could not actually _dream_ but they were working on a program that allowed him to experience dreaming like a person not only have a synthetic soul. Dorian allowed the man to cry on him. He was made to be very close to human and only needed a few hours of sleep. His processor, unlike most humans, did not process dreams in the way most humans did. Reaper was insistent that change, so, that is why they have been working on programs for nightmares for the past few decades together. He was made to be close to humanity than most androids (his line was flawed, but, Reaper found himself liking this flawed line) and he had a good grasp on humanity. Hell, he was more human than Spock was. More human than the logic based standard-issue MX-43 android. He was almost human to everyone else. But Dorian was human to this man.

They hadn't quite tied the knot, yet, as he would need to have a certified document that Dorian was sapient from Star Fleet (Who knew what Geoffrey M'Benga really was) not only the marriage equality and birth certificate. There was a level of trust between the two.  When Dorian had expressed interest in 'sexual activity' to feel the emotions (Mind you this was ten years later after they had met) one would feel during the activity and openly admitted he cared about the detective. That night was in his memory drive. The emotion he experienced delighted the android.  Reaper had said "You were like a fangirl high on cocaine." afterwards. Stahl was kept out of their secret. Not until they came across the chrome based woman during the funeral for Samantha. Remarkably she was still young, almost immortal, stunning the two men to silence at first upon seeing her again. Old feelings were revisited and Reaper made it clear that he was not interested in her in the slightest. 

"Dorian," Reaper said, after his tears had ended. "Would you want to experience your first Enterprise nightmare?"

"Yes." Dorian said.

Reaper smiled.

"Let's get to programming." Reaper said.

"But John," Dorian said, as Reaper got out of bed lacking his boxers pretty naked. "I am pretty sure you are going to be sleep deprived for the next mission tomorrow."

Reaper slid down into the chair and turned on the screen then looked over in the direction of Dorian.

"It is just a quick program." Reaper said, with a smile.

"Make it quick," Dorian said. "Before  I apply the Vulcan Nerve Pinch and get you to sleep that way."

Reaper turned away as Dorian got up from bed.

"I will make it so." Reaper said.

"You need a executive program that terminates the main program," Dorian said. "Fortunately, I am the one better at killing programs than you are."

"Says the man who can't beat virus programs that invade his processor." Reaper said.

"Those were colds." Dorian said.

Dorian brought over a wheeled chair and came over to the side of Reaper in a pair of boxers.

"And I had to get a anti-virus program," Reaper said. Then he grabbed at the android's cheeks and stretched them out. "Which I do every year for my little synthetic android."

" _John_." Dorian said, with narrowed eyes.

Reaper let go of Dorian's face staring at the blue eyes staring at the dark face glaring at his direction.

"Admit it," Reaper said. "You like it as a pet name!"

"I highly resent that." Dorian said, as Reaper's hands landed on the computer keyboard.

"You were the one who asked me to call you 'synthetic' in bed." Reaper said.

"That was in bed." Dorian said.

"Of all the nicknames I come up with, you shoot them down." Reaper said.

"Maybe nicknames are not meant for me." Dorian said.

"Nonsense!" Reaper said. "There is bound to be one for you."


	4. Temporary

_It is just temporary_ , Reaper thought as he was beamed aboard the _USS Olduvai_.

Memories of Olduvai returned followed by a sickening feeling in his stomach. It wasn't normal for a transporter. Period. The only time he experienced this feeling from transport was with the ark. Reaper felt like he was soaked all over. Almost like he had stepped out of a bubble. He staggered forward apologizing and then puked below the shoes of the captain. The captain, a woman, frowned at this.

"This doesn't happen all the time."  Reaper said, one long pole shaped bag strapped along his shoulder.

"My apologies," Came a African American woman from behind the transporter console. This was Chief Engineer Lieutenant Commander Tera Bronster. "We are experimenting with making transport more efficient and easier. We did not use the standard form of transport." Reaper took a step aside from the captain then approached the woman. "Mr McCoy."

"What form of transport did you base this on?" Reaper asked.

"The Ark. We decided to incorporate a part of what this starship is named after."  Bronster said.

_Damn it, Star Fleet!_

"Just my luck," Reaper said then turned in the direction of Captain Sim. "Captain, with all due respect, I do not want to lose a arm when I return to the _Enterprise_."

Nobody on this ship had clearance to know who he really was.

"You will not lose an arm, Doctor McCoy." Sim said.

The doors opened to reveal Commander Skedule, a Romulan defector, with a raised eyebrow.

"Doctor McCoy." Skedule said.

Skedule had black skin, lighter brown hair, and brown eyes. He had pointy ears, upturned bushy eyebrows, and a 'v' shaped forehead. His arms were behind his back with arm bands indicating his rank to be commander. A small rounded machine came out of the wall then cleaned up the mess on the floor in front of the transporter pad. It spun around in circles sucking in the waste. The machine rotated back into the hole into the wall that closed after making the floor squeaky clean.

"Commander Skedule," Reaper said. "Nice to see you again. But not surprisingly on a _science vessel_."

Skedule stepped forward lowering his eyebrow  and his face clearly read anger only to be stopped by Sim's arm.

"I take it you met before." Sim said.

"Long, long time ago." Skedule said.

"You have to get along, Doctor McCoy and Mr Skedule,"  Sim said, lowering her arm down. "And get over your differences. That is an order."

"Yes, sir." The two said, glaring at one another.

* * *

Deck five is where the transporter room, med bay, and most of the senior officers quarters were.  Reaper's quarters were 119 beside the captain's quarters. Star Fleet had a tendency to destroy starships that were top secret and classified.  Somewhere far off where no one would bother to go. If Reaper didn't know better he would say they had a hobby of building several starships after the loss of many in 2258. There were four hundred thirty-two people aboard the starship. Unlike the _Enterprise_ they had dark barely lit halls and the walls were a dark shade of gray. The floorboards glowed underneath their feet.  Skedule was assigned to give him a tour of the starship but their first stop was in a large laboratory that was wide and huge but mostly in use by likely a hundred scientists.

There were tubes holding floating figures.

"This is the main 'mad men' laboratory," Skedule said.

Courtney Sabataur, the head scientist, stood in front of a table that had a child sitting on with tentacles spreading out of the back.

"What the hell did you do to that child?" Reaper asked, coming to the side of Sabataur.

Sabataur turned away holding a padd in her hand.

"Doctor McCoy," Sabataur said. "We are doing out of science and it is harmless."

"Hey kid." Reaper said.

The child looked over his shoulder in the direction of Reaper with eyes that were alien like ripped out of the 21st century movie coverage. Reaper stepped back at first then looked over in horror in the direction of Sabataur. He had seen this kind of infliction before a long, long time ago. He stepped back. Reaper could hear a little boy's voice in his head reply, "Hello."

"What the hell is this, Miss Sabataur?" Reaper said.

"We are undergoing testing for the first telepathic octopus humanoid." Sabataur said.

"That is not the first." Reaper said.

"Yes, it is." Sabataur said.

Memories of Hell Mary returned to Reaper's mind. One mistake. Bringing a teenager while seeking for a cure to his immortality and the teenager was the unfortunate subject to being a willing participant in a experiment that disfigured the boy and turned him into a monster. The boy would have wanted Reaper to kill his comatose body that was rampaging. Joseph Theron. The boy spoke in sign language and he was a human strangely part octopus. He had taken the boy under his wing. And he failed him. He walked with guilt on his shoulders.

"My name is Zachary 474T8." Zachary's voice came in telepathy.

"We call him four thousand seven-hundred-forty-eight for short."  Sabataur said.

"That is unacceptable," Reaper said. "He should have a last name. Why don't you give this boy a damn last name? If I am goin' to be here then you are not goin' to treat people like test subjects, I don't care if he was bio-engineered or cloned  to be a calm participant but that does not mean he should be given a number as a name! If I am going to be here and ensuin' your safety, start callin' him Zachary Theron!"

" _Zachary Theron_." Zachary said, just to try out how it sounded in his voice.

"He is a mute." Sabataur's assistant, a red head Bob Dzoingwell, said.

"And he doesn't get a last name." Sabataur said.

"I do not care but I am a advocate for kids like him." Reaper said. 

"This test subject will go where they all go," Sabataur said. "If we name them then we get too close and compromise our integrity with the test. It makes us go blind. The last scientist who named one of these test subjects died in the Hell Mary incident a few years back. They are not meant to be near star base science communities and in space on a starship is their natural habitat. We have a starship built specifically for the experimentation of mutants to see how our civilization will fare with people like--"

"Theron." Reaper said.

"The test subject. If we can get rid of these tentacles in further genetic engineering and studying, we can prevent beastazoids from being disfigured." Sabataur said.

"Disfigured?" Reaper asked.

"That's what people like--" Sabataur was cut off by Reaper .

"Theron."  Reaper said.

"Are called," Sabataur finished. "Disfigured Beastazoids."

Reaper had a disgusted expression on his face then he went out.

"Miss Sabataur. . ." Skedule said. "We will talk after I finish this tour with Doctor McCoy."

* * *

 "Good luck with Doctor McCoy," Kirk said. "He will make you regret stepping foot on a island made of carnivores plants."

Skedule was still showing Reaper around.

"I expect nothing short, Captain Kirk." Sim said.

The young man smiled back, a rather attractive smile may Sim note, that was beaming and compassionate.

"See you in two months, Captain Sim," Kirk said. "Kirk out."

"Warp six," Sim said, as Lieutenant Charn Yang moved the level up forwards. "Take us to our next destination, Mr Yang."

"Aye aye, captain." Yang said.

The _Olduvai II_ dashed out of the _Enterprise_ view screen in a different direction. For some reason, Kirk had a strange feeling setting in his gut. It was like the next time he would see this starship it would be in poor condition. Something did not feel right. He gave the order to go on their next mission, and then they too, went into warp in a different direction that the Olduvai II had not gone. Spock looked over on the console where he saw a alert indicating someone had hacked into the private file system. It was unusual. Perhaps Dorian had some explaining to do. It was logical that Reaper had Dorian hack and display the files of the Olduvai crew members.

Chekov entered sick bay with a hand he had burned.

"Doctor, I accidentally spilled water over Sulu's fire plant and it burned me." Chekov said, holding his arm up expecting to see Doctor McCoy.

"Get on the biobed and sit still." Came M'Benga's voice.

Chekov saw M'Benga walking away from the desk taking out a hypospray.

"Where is Doctor McCoy?" Chekov asked, coming over to the nearby biobed.

M'Benga shed a smile.

"He is on a mission for a little while," M'Benga said. "For now, I am in charge."

M'Benga hypoed Chekov then began to wrap up the burned hand with bandages.

"How long?" Chekov asked, feeling a bit woozy from the hypo.

"It depends on the success of the mission." M'Benga said.

* * *

 "Captain,Theron will be transferred in the next two days to the Disability Beastazoid starship." Skedule said, standing in front of the desk in her cabin.

Sim looked up.

"Who is Theron?" Sim asked, with a raised eyebrow.

"Zachary." Skedule said.

Sim lowered her eyebrow then turned her attention down in the direction of her drink.

"The telepath," She picked up the cup and took a sip. She lowered it down. "I suppose this does not have to do with the doctor."

"It does,"  Skedule said. "He brought up a good point. It humanizes these sapient test subjects."

"We are not the ones in charge of them." Sim said, looking up in the direction of Skedule.

"But we are in charge of protecting them." Skedule said.

Sim put the cup down.

"Commander," Sim said. "We have to respect their wishes. Our task is to make sure that the Klingons, Romulans, Telethions, Basketions and all those sapient human relatednbeings do not at all attempt to take what research has been gathered from the lab." She stood up. "This is a temporary mission. I used to eat classified for breakfast but it is best we don't poke our noses into what they are doing or make any changes. If any changes are to be made, Star Fleet should make the decisions not us. You could get a glowing review and become a captain. You have the skill set to be one."

"My reputation does not allow me to become captain." Skedule said.

"Does it have to do with Doctor McCoy?" Sim asked.

"I was court martialed for my failure in preventing it and allowing countless others." Skedule said.

"So I take it as a yes." Sim said.

"Even if you left me a review that highlighted my skills it would be a waste of your efforts," He sat down into the chair in front of the desk. "My next mission will be infiltrating a Romulan starship attempting to recreate the matter that destroyed Vulcan and stop it. Rumors are only circulating the mill about now. Rumors circulate it will be beginning in the next five months."

"You have bloods on your hands." Sim said.

"Affirnative." Skedule said.

"And you are going right back where you came from. Where you deflected."  Sim said, bitterly.

"Temporary." Skedule said.

"I hate for you to be skinned for aiding in Star Fleet's missions. I can only wish that temporary is _only temporary_ ," Sim said, shaking her head with her eyes lowered. She looked up in the direction of the Romulan. "Speaking of which. . . Why did you leave Romulus?"

"I met my older counterpart . . ." There was a pause. "He had told me my current career trek would do me no good. He said a star trek would be much better than what I was doing. He had been in the way when my could-have-been-assassin shot the disruptor at his direction. He acted as a shield. He landed in my arms and requested a mind meld. Mind melds are not capable of being done by Romulans."

"I can picture the eyebrow raising." Sim said, bitterly.

"So I allowed him." Skedule said.

"You allowed him?" Sim asked, raising her eyebrows.

Skedule nodded.

"Surprising as it was, mind melding with another Romulan is a opportunity that one cannot pass up." Sim laughed then took a sip of her drink lowering both eyebrows. "I saw his mistakes and how he became a figure that despised by almost everyone out and in the federation. The kind of enemies that would normally get a human killed for messing in the matters that they should not be in. He was an Ambassador. He had traveled to this universe via a machine that broke upon his arrival."

"And seeing his mistakes did not bother you?" Sim asked.

"I will not make them. This is my life and I am not making the galaxy my enemy." Skedule said.

"There's a terran saying: _the enemy of my enemy is my frenemy_." Sim said.

Sim took a sip of her drink.

"Or friend." Skedule said.

"That too." Sim said, with a nod.

"You are scared of my chances of dying in this mission. That is impossible." Skedule said.

"I hate to see a man like you go to waste." Sim said.

"I am a Romulan, not a man, and if you insult me like that again then I will reconsider the perimeters of our relationship," Skedule said, standing up with a frown. "I have no time for name calling."

Sim placed her cup down then approached the Romulan with a sigh.

"We are one step away from even having a relationship," Sim said. "And you keep pushing me away."

"It is best that you do not associate yourself to someone who's race will become a un-trusted  source in the near future. Any offspring that come between a Romulan and a human will not fair in a galaxy this dark," Skedule started to walk out of the room. "I will not allow you to throw yourself upon me. It is highly illogical." Sim put one hand on his shoulder making him turn toward her direction. "Captain--"

Sim brought the Romulan into a kiss, her shoulders lowered down, and their eyes were closed. They must have continued this rather unexpected kiss for at least a given five minutes. Sim's hands traveled to his shoulders right to the sides where she let go of the kiss and gave both of them breathing distance squeezing his shoulders.

"I want to grow old with you,Commander," Sim said. "Not with the idea of what could have been. I want to have your children. I have known you for ten years on my previous assignment." She was looking him in the eyes right about now. "I love you."

"As you understand: I will out live you in the chances that I survive my current career trek in  Star Fleet that comes with death over my head," Skedule said, as her hands slid down off his shoulders once letting go of them. "I cannot have you nor can you have me."

Sim appeared to be hurt, but mostly in disbelief.

"But can it be possible that one human matters to one Romulan more than anyone they knew?" Sim said. "Never forgotten."

"They are stories." Skedule said, as Sim's grip had loosened on his shoulders.

"We could be stories ourselves one day," Sim said. "I want our story to tell the truth."

"Much as it pains me," Skedule said. "I am sorry."

Skedule walked out of her quarters leaving the emotionally pained woman in her cabin with the doors closing behind him afterwards.


	5. A seemingly abandoned ship

**Captain's Log:** _It has been three days since our assignment has been handed and our chief medical officer's arrival. The beastaziod has been transferred to his people. Work on genetics has resumed and I have chosen not to know what kind of genetic testing they are doing. We have recently come across a starship, federation slated, that has refused to respond to our hails. We are temporarily lifting shields to check if anything is wrong. Their shields are down. The lights are off. We are only getting a recording for help. Though I am not sure if a science vessel can be of any help. We are protectors, not explorers. I will send a landing party to the USS Stronghorn. Sim out._

"A abandoned ship."  Reaper said.

"Affirmative." Skedule said.

"I wish you met Spock." Reaper said.

"I do not see how we would get along," Skedule said. "For a Romulan destroyed his home planet. It is illogical to meet him as it would stir up old feelings."

"You think his dislike to Nero will apply to the whole race?" Reaper asked.

"It is only logical." Skedule said.

"For a Romulan, you talk a lot like a Vulcan." Reaper said.

"Do not act like you do not know me, Mister Franklin."  Skedule said.

"Pretending to not know you is the only reason why I am not stranglin' you." Reaper said.

"You insist to be called a name that isn't yours, Adam Franklin." Skedule said.

Reaper's right hand curled up into a fist feeling anger at the mention of his previous identity.

"My name is not Adam Franklin," Reaper said, relaxing his hand. "It is Leonard _Horatio_ McCoy."

Skedule raised an eyebrow at Reaper's reply.

The doors parted ways to reveal the head science officer Jewel Vern and Captain Sim who were walking side by side in dark biohazard suits. Usually biohazard suits are white, so, it seemed to Reaper that Star Fleet were having a trend going on for starships. Starships that had white interiors would have white hazard suits. Still being carried in 2260, how typical. Starships with dark interiors would have dark biohazard suits. The Romulan's eyebrow went up even further puzzled. Bronster looked over in their direction as well, visibly surprised, as though she too wasn't told they were going to leave the ship in suits.

"Commander, Doctor," Sim said. "You must be in the biohazard suits before you go."

"There has been a detected bio-contagion," Vern said. "There is a possibility there could be survivors."

"The safest part of a starship is in Med Bay," Reaper said. "Most likely they are holed up in there."

The three raised their eyebrows.

"I was not aware that Med Bay was a designated safety destination." Sim said.

"It was recently set in place fourteen years ago." Reaper said.

"That is interesting," Skedule said. "This makes 87.47% chance of survival."

"We have to make sure they are alive and uncontaminated first before we get them," Sim said, as Skedule went over to the nearby compartment then typed in some kind of request on the LED screen. The drawer slid out to the Romulan with folded biohazard suits. "Doctor, your expertise in finding out what kind of contagion is in the air will be very useful with the aid of Office Vern."

Vern had light blue eyes, dark braided hair, and a Hispanic appearance. The two men got dressed into their biohazards suits which took only fifteen minutes instead of five because they switched biohazard suits. Reaper's suit was too large and Skedule's was too small. It clearly became apparent that they had taken the others suit. So they made the switch. The group of four walked onto the transporter pad. Reaper had his medical sack right over his shoulder. The tricorder was over Vern's shoulder.

"Energise." Sim said.

In a golden haze their surroundings changed to a dark bridge.  A wide on in fact that had tinges of blue on the walls. Red lights were blinking off and on. There were bodies laid all over the place while some were covered in warts that had burst open, some had skin coated in icicles,their ears did not seem human, and their eyes were the same. A red ring around the pupil and a very unique shape at the center that wasn't normally seen in typical biohazards. The captain was in his chair with a hole in the back of his head and a phaser in his right hand. There was a hole under his chin. He had been in the late stages of dying a horrible death much as his crew was. Sim went over to the chair then carefully began the search for the captain's log.

"For once," Reaper said. "That was the answer to end it."  He took out his medical tricorder then scanned the bodies  to see how long they had been dead. "Huh. . ."

"Doctor?"  Sim asked.

"It appears they contracted their ailment fifty-six hours ago," Reaper said. "Only died ten hours ago. I never seen a contagion go this slow before."

 _Nothing like the ones I find when assigned to the Enterprise_ , Reaper noted to himself, _This is highly depressing_.

"Miss Vern and Doctor McCoy, search for the survivors," Sim said. "Mister Skedule and I will continue from here."

* * *

"Med Bay, eh?" Vern said, while the turbo lift went down as she eyed at him.

"There was one time we had to pack refugees into med bay when there was a gassy lethal substance makin' its way killin' certain targets of certain race," Reaper said. "We prevented a genocide of a entire race. Most of those kids needed to be treated for minor injuries they suffered makin' their way to safety. Spock was able to create cure along with some of his science technicians." Reaper could still remember the panic on the refugee's faces. How cramped up med bay was. How relieved he was that Med Bay had air tight doors. How relieved he was to have lobbied Star Fleet to make these doors after the _Hell Mary_ incident. "Some of them had not even _showered_ that day."

Vern shook her head with a snicker.

"I would have given an arm to be part of a rescue mission like that." Vern said.

Reaper looked over toward Vern.

Her file was quite shady.

"I take it your previous assignment was not as excitin'." Reaper said.

"Not even close," Vern said. "It was boring. My previous assignment was on a smaller starship,a _Hermes_."

"The one nacelled starship?" Reaper asked.

Vern nodded.

"Though, for my first starship, it quite grew on me," Vern said. "It was all white compared to The _Classified_ Class."

"Just like a _Constitution_ class." Reaper said, fondly.

"White too?" Vern asked, surprised.

"Yes, they are." Reaper said.

"I suppose most classes have their different lighting," Vern said. "I am still getting adjusted to a creepy hallway. It is like our ship is for emos."

"This is not my first rodeo," Reaper said. "One time I was on a Klingon ship and it was dark as hell. Other Klingon ships have red lights that dimly light up the scenery and they provide a good view on who you are approaching." Vern frowned. "Yes, I was the one who had scared you on the way to the recreation deck yesterday."

Vern elbow punched Reaper.

"I deserved that." Reaper said.

"Last time some-one scared me . . ." Vern said. "It didn't end well for them."

"What happened?" Reaper asked.

Vern was silent.

"That bad?" Reaper asked.

Vern lowered her head with a sigh.

"Bad." Vern said.

The incident on the  USS _Phlox_ was on her record. The files regarding the sudden death of two crewmen, Samuel Jackson and Wilbert Winfree, in the science laboratory. The autopsy's had come back fishy despite it being written off as an science experiment gone wrong. Those injuries did not fit a experiment gone wrong Imagine the surprise on his face to learn that Skedule was assigned to the USS _Olduvai II_. Skedule and Dorian had known each other strictly as captain and civilian. Dorian was the one who tore Reaper off of Skedule before he could finish what he had started after _Hell Mary_ 's threat levels had been declared 'safe', at least safe enough to evacuate and allow the highly trained professionals to run a sweep through _Hell Mary_ that all threats were neutralized.

 _Ding_!

The turbolift doors opened.

The two walked out of the turbo lift into the partially lit blue hallway.

"Nice for a change." Vern said.

"Oh god." Reaper said, his eyes on the floor.

"What is it?" Vern looked in the direction that Reaper had his eyes on.

"Don't look--" Vern gasped stepping back, her eyes widening in horror. "I said don't look."

"Oh my god." Vern said.

Reaper came over a corpse then turned it over making it face toward him. He sighed then did a scan of the body to see how long it took for him to die. He stared at the screen, breathing in sharply and let it out. Pity. Horror. Dismay. He closed the eyes of the dead shortly afterwards briefly closing his eyes, "Poor bastards." They likely did not know what was coming for them. This was a scouting vessel. Only required four hundred people to operate it much like Classified Vessels. The dead red shirt clearly had a pained expression on their face. Reaper stood up.

"Do not look down, Miss Vern." Reaper instructed Vern.

"Yes, sir." Vern said.

Vern was recording what they were seeing including the dead bodies in the darkened hallway that was partially lit displaying the color of the walls being blue. The hair on the back of his neck had risen up. He could feel chills be carried down. This was a _Freedom_ class that was smaller than the _Enterprise_ but larger than the _USS Olduvai_ by the saucer section. In the _Freedom_ class there was a large observation deck,large recreation room, and a large cafeteria like the bridge. The _Freedom_ Class, by the outside, had a bulky design. For a scouting vessel it had more room for the crew-members making the _Enterprise_ seem less elite by comparison. It wasn't set to be a warrior but a peaceful vessel.

"Curious," Vern said. "There is a unusual compound in the air."

Reaper looked off in Vern's direction, an eyebrow raised.

"What kind of compound?" Reaper asked.

"Nothing that I ever seen," Vern said. "We should have more testing done here to identified the biological contagion currently restrained here "

Reaper could smell blood, a lot of blood, in this particular hall. Reaper turned his head away from Vern. Their warts had bust open probably spilling blood. The images of bodies that had their faces coated in blood made him feel disgusted, but over all, this was nothing new for the ex-marine. He looked over in the direction of Vern with narrowed eyebrows and a pout on his face.

"I rather it be destroyed." Reaper said.

"And let it be exposed to whatever flying alien creatures out there?" Vern said. "No sir, I will not accept that. It needs to be studied, cleared, and cured."

"For petes sake, that is goin' to get you killed," Reaper walked over the bodies. Even in a suit he could still smell  outside of it and hear Vern's heart. He could hear a pair of heart beats carried down the hallway breathing normally. There were survivors most likely in Med Bay. "And if it is air born, how do we cure that?"

"Incorporate the cure into its gaseous form."  Vern said.

"For all we know, space will kill the virus." Reaper said, as Vern followed him.

"Or it may not," Vern said. "I do not wish to be responsible for a non-breathing organism to die because we did not  get rid of the virus. I am not getting off until this is over and then that alone can we destroy the ship with being sure the threat is eliminated."

On the _Enterprise_ , they would come to a universal and common ground: destroy the contaminated starship that had housed dead bodies. He found himself missing the _Enterprise_. It had been three days being aboard the _Olduvai II_. One lab technician got their arm busted somehow on a experiment  (which blew Reaper's mind how he could get a injury like that when there is no force from a superhuman like him around) and had to get it set. Reaper recommended the lab technician to lay off on the supernatural while the bone did the hard job and became solidified over the repairs made by 23rd century medical equipment such as a bone-knitting laser.

"Your death wish." Reaper said.

"Bakataur has told me of your insistent involvement in one of our projects." Vern said.

"I have no idea what you are talking about." Reaper said.

"Chromosomes." Vern said.

"Chromosomes, chromosomes, chromosomes," Reaper said. "Whatever may they  be?" He added sarcastically. "All I know is that they are the blue print to our DNA."

"They are _part_ of our DNA,Doctor McCoy," Vern said. "You are one of those anti-Olduvia doctors aren't you?"

Reaper nodded, going along with what she was implying.

Because the hell he was anti-Olduvai.

"Right, I am." Reaper said.

Vern stepped in his way.

"We don't need anti-Olduvai here." Vern said.

"The hell you do," Reaper said. "And for you know, history might repeat itself. It always does when in the wrong hands."

"This is in good hands." Vern said.

"Is it that what they said about the genetically altered boy on Hell Mary?" Reaper said. Vern paused, staring at him, thinking back to the official report, a dissertation, written by Joan Edwards. "Was he in good hands?"  Vern did not reply.  "No. I don't think so."

* * *

_". . . Adam,  I am sorry for your loss." Pike had come to the unmarked grave that was set under a tree where Reaper had sat._

_The hazel eyes turned in the mortal's direction._

_"He was my charge and I failed him," Reaper's eyes returned to the grave, his fingers tracing over the newly made cracks in the tombstone. "I . . I should never have left him in charge of that damn Romulan!"_

_Reaper smacked his fist on the tombstone making a crack at the left corner where a fracture appeared in between the last name 'Theron'. A tear landed on the tombstone. Then another. And another. His shoulders were trembling and rolling as the tears came down. Pike sat down alongside the man placing one hand on Reaper's shoulder out of comfort. There were rows of tombstones in the background complete with dangling roses around the well kept stones. Stones that were made likely three hundred years ago. A large majority of the civilization cremated rather than burying their bodies six feet under to rot and become dust over countless years in a coffin._

_"I wish you never told me about the kid." Reaper said_

_Pike took his hand off Reaper's shoulder._

_"I remember you insisted to be part of his life," Pike said. "You practically raised the boy!"_

_"Dawn did a majority of the raising." Reaper said, closing his eyes._

_Pike looked over to see by the air car was a dark man leaning his backside against the frame along the window shield and his arms folded. His eyes landed down upon the sulking man. A man who went through countless Klingons to retrieve his ass (including Marcus) when they got up to their necks with the annoying honor based civilization. A broken man, just as he always was, just breaking even more. It was difficult to realize a immortal being still had feelings after two hundred years. Pike looked over to see on the grave that it read:_

**Joseph Theron**

**2236 -2246.**

**'May he never be forgotten, for he was loved dearly.'**

_Pike stood up._

_"Marcus wants to know if you are coming back." Pike said._

_Reaper's and clutched around the tombstone._

_"I am not coming back to Star Fleet," Pike's eyebrow rose up. "For all you know,  Adam Franklin died yesterday."_

_"No, Adam Franklin is sitting right in front of me grieving for a son he never had," Pike said. "And he is very ali--"_

_Dorian watched Pike's figure be struck against the tree making it bend forwards  with a crack that wound up making a couple branches fall. The mortal landed on his side coughing out blood to the grass.  Reaper ran down the lane of cemeteries, starting today, he was Leonard Horatio McCoy not Special Ops Agent Adam Franklin. Pike watched the man flee the scene jumping into the passenger side, Dorian started the air-car, and then they zipped out as he wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth._

_It would be hours later when  Pike would visit the abandoned apartment._

_No Dawn, the sarcastic witted black man._

_No Adam, the man who's eyes were older than his looks._

_Their belongings packed._

_They had simply left town._

_Except for one letter._

' **Dear Christopher:** '

' **My apologies for John's outburst.'**

John?, _Pike thought, confused._

' **Please discuss with Star Fleet regarding the Olduvai incident in 2046: there were two survivors**. **Tell them "Samantha Grimm, 2020, twelve minutes apart." They will tell you**.'

_Pike lowered the letter down virtually confused._

' **Sincerely, Geoffrey M'Benga** '

_And he needed answers._

* * *

 

Reaper stood outside the  door to Med Bay with Vern. He could see there were Ensigns kept at the back end of the room including what seemed to be young children. They varied from rank: some had blue shirts on that were dark blue and light blue, a few had red shirts. and some had yellow shirts. Their heart rate was usual, not alarming, and they smelled afraid. Fear had a distinctive smell. The Chief  Medical Officer, a woman, was comforting the children. The two stepped back from the doors then went over to the side dumbstruck.

"Children are not permitted on Scout Class even if they are family." Vern said.

"These kids got on here, probably out of danger, afraid, and . . ." He looked straight in the direction of the children. "No."

"What?" Vern asked.

"That is too mad."  Reaper said.

:What is the idea, doctor?" Vern asked.

"What if the children are spreading this virus and they don't know it?" Reaper asked.

"I don't know. . . ,They look too human." Vern said, troubled.

"People who are around them the most can become immune to the virus," Reaper said. "Especially if they are not too far away for fifty-six hours."

"That is possible. Then how do we neutralize it?" Vern asked.

Reaper came to the door.

"We are going to use the compound against itself," Reaper said. "This isn't a biological air borne contagion. It's a virus sent out by the body. We have to expose them to bacteria similar to it."

Vern took out her communicator. 

"But don't take off your helmet," Reaper added. "We don't know if it is currently active or not."


	6. Some people have a deathwish

"But captain!" Vern plead.

"No buts, we must quarentine this ship and not allow patient zeros to infect everyone else,"  Sim said. "I am not taking the chances of getting everyone killed."

Reaper shut the communicator on Vern.

"You are agreeing with her?" Vern asked.

Reaper frowned.

"I am not agreein' with her," Reaper said. "But we can learn to disagree."

Vern raised an eyebrow as he opened his helmet.

"Doctor McCoy, don't--" Vern said, followed by a gasp and stepping back.

He took the helmet off.

"One, you do not talk about this. Two, call me Bones. Three, no one outside of this hall must know what happens on this ship." He shook his index finger. "Do you understand?"

Her eyes had widened.

"Yes, sir." Vern said.

"Bones, please." Reaper said.

"Yes . . . . _Bones_." Vern said, as Reaper tucked his helmet to his side.

Reaper knocked on the doorway.

The woman, Chief Medical Officer Jane Louise Riker, turned away from the children then looked over toward the door. She seemed to be relieved then came over to the door. She was about to press the activate door button when Reaper shook his hand and his head at once making her stop inches away from the door.

"You are immune to the virus," Reaper said. "My name is Leonard McCoy. And you must listen to everything we have to say."

"The _Enterprise_ is here?" Riker said, her face a surprised one but yet hopeful. "The legendary doctor and his Vulcan friend, never thought I would meet the man himself."

Reaper sighed.

"The _Enterprise_ is not here," Reaper said. "You are still in charted Federation space."

Vern took off her helmet.

"I am Miss Jewel Vern, Science Officer,of the Olduvai II," Vern said, earning a quick turn of a head from Reaper. "Is it not logical to cover your ass on why you are breaking regulations, doctor?"

She was breathing it in.

Shit.

"Sometimes I hate logic," Reaper said. "Do not do that again!"

* * *

 **Captain's log:** _Commander Skedule and I returned to the USS Olduvai II without Doctor McCoy and Miss Vern. They are seeking to create a cure for ground zero. They have exposed themselves to ground zero. I fear they will not get themselves and the remaining people on board cured._ S _im out._

Reaper and Vern were out of the biohazard suits.

"You will be court martialed for going over my authority." Sim said.

"It was my fault, sir," Vern said. "It was my idea alone."

"We accept the consequences, captain." Reaper said.

"This is not the _Enterprise_ ,Doctor McCoy," Sim said. "Where you can get away with everything. You will face disciplinary action. I am the captain of this ship and I, alone, am responsible for my crew. If you died on my watch, I have to be the one who tells your families that you died pointlessly."

Reaper could picture Dorian faking a grieving attitude after being told. Not one person would believe her, mentally, at least the ones in Reaper's family circle. Joanna was being taken care of by Jocelyn. He had gone to great lengths to allow her to know the truth about him and let her accept him. She didn't trust her daughter alone with a immortal. She had done countless tests to know if her daughter was mortal. Joanna was very mortal. She was lucky to have inherited her mother's mortality. This would only reassure that Joanna would not have visits, publicly, with him.

Reaper did not believe Star Fleet would allow him to be court martialed.

He was too important for that.

Disciplinary action?

They were totally fine with that for all Reaper knew.

"We died saving others," Reaper said. "I can give you the number of the immune--"

"We are not beaming anyone off the ship for that matter," Sim said. "Period."

Reaper frowned.

"But they are not dead." Vern said.

"For all we know they may be infected. I am giving you twenty-four  hours and then we are firing on it." Sim said.

"Takin' no chances when there are possibly infected people," Reaper said. "Normally I would admire you for that but this is a different story."

Reaper went to the turbo lift.

 _I don't belong here_ , Reaper thought, _Being on the Olduvai II is not where I should be_.

"Captain, we will contact you when we have the cure set," Vern said. "Vern out."

Vern followed Reaper to the turbo lift.

"Deck 5." Vern said.

"Next stop, deck  2." Reaper said.

"You got it right, Bones." Vern said.

"We are not going to allow these kids to die, are we?" Reaper asked.

"We will not allow them to die." Vern said.

Starting from them, respect started to form between them. Admirable. Maybe a form of loyalty.


	7. Some people have a sense of belonging

**Chief Medical Officer's log** : _We are working on the clock to save the survivors on the StrongHorn. Fourteen hours to go. Vern is displaying symptoms. Her body is becoming covered in blisters, a different form of warts, her skin is still the colorful tint of yellow but slowly turning to blue. She claims not to be in pain. Her eyes say otherwise. McCoy out._

Reaper lowered the communicator looking over toward the child sitting on the table dangling their legs forwards and downwards kicking them, but appearing to be concerned for the woman. She had a hypospray in one hand. Her hands were trembling and she winced, briefly closing them. She was swearing, unusually. It pained Reaper to see a hard working officer falling before his eyes.

Reaper went into the next lab.

 _Leonard McCoy's Personal log:_ " _I miss the Enterprise.  Of all the places, starbases, and starships I have been to: this is the one I find myself missing. Why? Is it because . . . of family blood being on the bridge?  A emotional Vulcan? A man who can beat anyone at a drinking contest? A Russian who adores Russia. A helmsmen incredibly interested in botany?  A woman headstrong and independent, head of communications? Is it Dorian the android who spent five years in a Vulcan ward with  a flawed synthetic soul?"_

Reaper paused.

_"Maybe it is because it is easier to miss what I am familiar to. Something I am good at: making sure people do not die on my watch."_

Reaper paced back and forth.

_"My assignment on the Enterprise won't last forever."_

Reaper came to the desk.

 _"For some reason I feel like that is not the end for the  Enterprise crew after the assignment is over. Older Spock claimed the universe called for their help numerous times and they responded, each, and every time. I believe older Spock is going to be proven right in this universe. Perhaps I will become a admiral myself! Though I will have to shed that identity. I have already got one. Leonard Horatio McCoy, junior. This identity is my current favorite.  Then I will have to use another one . . . I will be fine, long as I have my good friend Dorian around_."

Reaper smiled, leaning back on the desk, arms folded, the communicator across from his mouth.

 _"McCoy out_."

Reaper put the communicator into his pocket then returned to the science lab.


	8. Some have to face consequences

If he hadn't known better about being immortal by a chromosome, he would have left the ship and let them defend themselves. It had been centuries since he felt pain that indicated his mortality. This time it was coming from the inside of Reaper in his chest. They were getting so close to making a cure. Vern was unable to move. Her fingers felt like they were stiff, like rock, and if she moved a finger she would be in such horrible pain. Her blisters had turned to warts. Her hands felt cold to the touch.

It was working on him, slowly.

So much for immortality.

Bakataur, through the communicator, was instructing Reaper on how to properly use the science equipment to conjure a cure. Well, at least she was.

_"You must clean it before you put anything in it."_

_"N--non-no no! Don't put away the empty the vile before you put a sponge under the tip!"_

_"Now you have to do it again. I told you to put on gloves."_

_"Doctor McCoy, stop joking. This is not a light situation."_

_"Doctor McCoy, can you hear me?"_

_"Doctor McCoy--Fine, then, Bones. Is that the nickname you prefer?"_

_"Bones, you must get untampered DNA."_

_"Right. You have it. You didn't have to say those colorful words. Is this immune DNA?"_

_"I am getting Harley."_

_"Sir, you are using it wrong."_

_"Sir, with all due respect, you suck at this."_

_Danielle Harley, a lieutenant in sciences, was quite formal._

"Sir, you must test the DNA for an inconsistencies--" Harley was cut off by Reaper.

"Why?" Reaper said.

"Because the cure has to be DNA friendly to any species if it is to be carried by air." Harley said.

"I get it." Reaper said.

"Now check for the number of chromosomes." Harley said.

"Twenty-three." Reaper said, looking at the chart of chromosomes.

There was a sigh of relief over the communicator.

"Sir, you must put it into the oxygenized machine." Harley said.

"Oxygenized machine?" Reaper said.

"It has a long and absurd name. That's the nickname. It is longer than Mary Poppin's catchphrase. The text should be under the cup holder that has the shape of a vile. There is a side compartment that can be detached  and attached to the wall. This device will get into the vents, hack the environmental channels, and reprogram the cure into it through a tube that sends it everywhere. The oxygenized machine resembles a late 21st century coffee machine."

"I see." Reaper said.

"How is Miss Vern?" Harley asked.

Reaper looked over toward the woman paralyzed in the chair.

"Not too good," Reaper replied. "And I prefer if you called me 'Bones'." Reaper found the machine placed the DNA scanner. "I found it."

"Put it in." Harley said.

"And now?" Reaper asked.

"You have an hour for it to be oxygenized." Harley said.

Knowing Spock, he didn't have go through this kind ordeal just to make a gaseous cure that was sent throughout the Enterprise. He looked over to see the blisters were getting little points of ice around them. Vern seemed to be breathing shallowly. Med Bay was opened, and no one from that room was dying. Most of the children were in the transporter room along with the adults and the several other survivors. There were faint traces of blood on Vern's face.

"Thank you," Reaper said. "McCoy out."

Reaper came over to the woman then came to her side.

"I do not believe you can make it, Miss Vern." Reaper said.

Even though she wasn't smiling, her eyes were.

"It was nice . . . knowing you," Vern said. "Bones."

Reaper watched the life fade from the woman's eyes and then there was nothing. Her dead eyes  was staring in his direction. He closed her eyes then took out his communicator and put it on the record of Vern's death. He stood up using the arm rest of the chair.  He was not going to allow what they were doing to go down into waste. Reaper made his way to a large screen on the wall complete with a LED screen capable of being tapped on. It was much like a padd for Reaper. He managed to hack into the automatic door systems and create a glitch to make them open but not close.

Reaper succeeded.

His communicator beeped.

"Oh great." Reaper sighed, taking out the communicator.

"Doctor McCoy," Sim said. "You have one hour."

"Vern is dead." Reaper said.

"I will make the appropriate arrangements for her family to know," Sim said. "Do you want anything to be said for your family?"

"It was Sam's fault," Reaper said. "If I don't make it, I want that on my file."

Which he _will_ make it.

He is damn Leonard McCoy.

He does not believe in no-win scenarios.

"I am so--"  Sim started but Reaper cut her off.

"Don't say that," Reaper said. "Because I like to hear you say that when I get back aboard the ship, Captain Sim. McCoy out."

He closed the communicator then put it away. He looked over to the dead body where around her neck was a cross. She was a christian. Reaper closed his eyes, briefly, muttering a prayer to a god he does not believe in. He stopped believing in god when his team died. Sincerely, he hoped that Vern was in a better place. Reaper picked up the woman's limp body into his arms. He left the science laboratory. He easily found the torpedo room. Reaper placed the body onto a nearby bed, took out the inner part of the torpedo, activated a self destruction sequence when it will be out of range from the _Olduvai II,_ and made enough room for her body to be put in. Reaper, carefully, put her unresponsive body into the torpedo. He had taken off the tricorder from her shoulder. It was difficult because of how stiff her body was but he managed to do it. He placed her hands on her stomach. He cleaned her face using a wet towel.

She probably wouldn't have cared if her face was covered in blood when her body would be prepared for the buried at sea ceremony.

Reaper closed the lid, put the torpedo in the torpedo shooting hole, then closed the door.

"Rest in peace." Reaper pressed the eject button.

Reaper watched the torpedo fly past the _Olduvai II_ where it exploded in the distance like a shining star. There was a beep coming from the tricorder. He looked down, turned it around, and lifted it up. The tricorder had a private and personal message for her family. It started off with her requesting no pity, no anger, or hostility to the man she referred to as Bones for her death. Her death was a consequence that she had to deal with. She acknowledged him for being there when she would die, as though she expected it, her face hadn't become covered in blisters yer. She expected to die on her second mission. She made the admission that what happened on her previous assignment wasn't an science accident gone wrong. It was her fault they died. She just went too far protecting herself. And then she made the last bit personal messages to her close family members which Reaper turned off the tricorder immediately at the woman crying on the screen.

Reaper put the tricorder into the medical bag. 

Reaper then exited the torpedo room.

He had to finish what they started together.


	9. Some have to replace

"Destroy the StrongHorn." Sim said.

"Aye aye, captain." Lieutenant Joseph Wells said.

The torpedos  crashed into the starship one by one. The starship exploded in a brilliant flash blinding the view screen. Space grew resilient springing back into it's former state before their eyes. Sim closed her eyes lowering her head. Skedule looked off to the empty science station having a moment of silence for his fallen but barely  known crewmate. He turned his head away back in the direction of the view screen after a moment.

"Bronster to the bridge." Bronster said.

"Sim here." Sim said.

"We got all of them." Bronster said.

"What?"  Sim  raised an eyebrow.

"Just like you ordered." Bronster said.

"I did not request anyone to be beamed off that ship." Sim said.

"I heard your voice clear as day." Bronster said.

"The captain made no orders for anyone to be beamed off the ship." Skedule said.

"Doctor McCoy, I know you used my voice for that." Sim said.

"Sorry?" Reaper said. "I just got beamed off like everyone else. I was expectin' to die, no thank you. And I will expect a apology from you after treating the kids to some icecream."

"ICECREAM!" The children squealed.

_Dorian leaned back into the chair with a smile on his face as his arms were behind his back and he listened to the chaos unfolding. He had done this through some hacking of his own that he had taught Reaper a century ago to do. His coding system had come up on Dorian's programming radar and the glitch was very flawed. He refined it. Listened to the previous communications held by the officers of the Olduvai II._

_Reaper owed him, big time._

"Bronster out." Bronster said.

Skedule looked over toward Sim.

"Are you going to promote someone from inside?" Skedule said.

"I know just the woman." Sim said.

"Bakataur." Skedule said.

"You got that right." Sim said.

* * *

 "I am sorry, but a court martial for Doctor McCoy is not likely to happen." Pike said, apologetically on the screen.

"What? No one is invincible to facing their mistakes and the law." Sim said.

"Let's just say every day is hell for him." Pike said.

"But why?" Sim asked.

"Hypothetically, you have one important guy on there who is there to make sure your scientists don't screw up and make another ground zero Olduvai to happen," Pike said. "Is that a good enough reason?" She nodded. "Good. Because the truth behind him is classified. You do not have clearance to know. If word got out . . ." Pike narrowed his eyes at her direction. "I hate for you to lose your career."

"It is none of my concern." Sim said.

"Good," Pike said. "You can punish him, just not in the way you want. I am sure you can handle McCoy."

"I can," Sim said. "Admiral."

"You are the luckiest woman in the fleet," Pike said. "The most important mission. Out in the middle of no where. In space. Miles and miles away from the nearest planet. And you get to ensure that the men and women responsible for the advancement in science do not get _killed_. Hell, anyone would have given a leg for what you have to do."

"Flattering coming from the man who did not assign the _Enterprise_ here." Sim said.

"We attempting to redeem Olduvai," PIke said. "It just was not in the _Enterprises_ 's blood. Good luck. Pike out."

The screen turned to black in the briefing room leaving Sim alone.


	10. What are they experimentin' on?

For the first month, Reaper had been given 'holographic repairs' duty. Which was a basic thing to do since he had taken the class out of caution that one of his patients would be a holoprogram. It was merely coding but if it were repairing the holodeck that would require some tools including a wrench, screwdriver, extra wires, and oh god it was amazing how easily some-one broke the holodeck. It was like a Klingon had been there! Then the duties returned to utility ensign Jack Headwards. The second month there wasn't anything thrown his way except for tribble sitting.

The scientists made the tribbles huge.

And damn, they purred.

He baby sat the tribbles along with Skedule while the scientists scrambled to undo what they had caused. Reaper kept one, a sneaky bastard, who was infertile. He kept his quarters clear of any liquid or food but the funny part is: the large tribble acted like a domesticated house pet. It was roughly the size of a Great Dane. It would hop onto bed and he would get on it then fall asleep upon landing.  The gentle low, sweet purr was music to his ears. He would wake up when the tribble, who he called Max, threw him off making him land on the floor.

It was their routine.

Get up, shout at the overgrown tribble, feed it, take a shower, and put it into the adjoining room where it could run about and play with the toys.

Sometime Reaper wondered where their teeth were.

So he decided to ask Bakataur when she was paying  a visit due to a electrical problem that shocked her on her science station.

"Do tribbles have mouths?" Reaper asked.

"No, their hairs are actually tentacles that absorb small amounts of food." Bakataur said.

There was silence.

"You  have been sleeping on the tribble. Haven't you?" Bakataur asked.

"Yes. I cannot believe I have been sleepin' on it's mouth!" Reaper said.

"When a tribble breeds, it splits apart to form another tribble just like a Mogwai." Bakataur said.

"Tribbles hate water." Reaper added.

"No, they don't." Bakataur said.

"Yes, they do. They are terrified of water." Reaper argued back

"Thanks, doc, for fixing me up." Bakataur got off the biobed.

"What is goin' on in the lab?" Reaper asked. "I mean, their injuries are like someone THREW them!"

"It was an accident." Bakataur said, starting to walk away.

"That's how it usually begins. Accident. But it becomes not an accident at the end. If I am going to be ensurin' the scientists well bein' then I better know what is causin' these injuries to the two hundred plus scientists who come in bein': wheeled in, held bridal style, or hop into this medical room." Bakataur came to a sudden stop in her tracks. "Someone might get killed one of these days and I won't be able to brin' them back from the dead. I need to know what it is so I can be certain that you are not bein' abused by a freak boyfriend! In fact, this whole assignment makes me think all these scientists have abusive boyfriends or abusive girlfriends."

Bakataur turned in the direction of Reaper.

"We are experimenting with octopuses." Baktaur said.

"Octopuses. . ." Reaper repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Aquatic lifeform," Bakataur said. "Some day humanity might involve into them so we are experimenting with their genetics to see the variations of what we could become and the test subjects are, pleased as I am to say, are so far passing the tests."

Reaper lowered an eyebrow narrowing his eyes in Bakataur's direction.

"You have no idea how much that is as a bad idea." Reaper said.

"It is a brilliant idea." Bakataur said.

"Tell me: are they sapient?" Reaper asked.

"No."  Bakataur said.

"That is the part that makes it a bad idea," Reaper said. "They have no sympathy or empathy toward people. Mindless, heartless beings."

"Their brains are designed not to allow them the way ours thinks." Bakataur said.

"Wait, you treat them like lab rats!" Reaper said, face twisted.

"That is what they are." Bakataur said.

"Out," Reaper said. "I don't want to hear another word about this big idea that is goin' to blow up on you."

"It makes it easier to euthanize them once we are done." Bakataur said. 

"Staring at a intelligent, livin' bein' you are going to kill?" Reaper said. "It makes us grow as people knowin' that we killed someone who had a mind even if it may weigh on our shoulders and I know a familiar phrase that is tied to that 'for the sake of science'. It may be wrong to kill livin' intelligent bein' but it depends on what they do that constitutes to kill them. Are they monsters ravagin' and causin' mayhem that involves the death of others? Then that is right. A innocent healthy, intelligent bein' that has done nothin' to you? Kill that, now that, would be wrong."

"You are all up for them being sapient!" Bakataur said, in shock.

"I rather them being aware of what they are doin' than just killin' them because they are genetically retarded and not meant to have a soul," Reaper said. "Genetics, you honestly have no idea, in the human genome some of our points represent the human soul. I don't know which points but the human genes have positive and negative points that every being in the galaxy has. That I do. Tribbles can detect this immediately. I am  pro-sapient. I have no right to tell you what you should do about their brains. I am a doctor, not a scientist."

"That you are," Bakataur said. "I really needed to speak with someone who had a different pair of eyes. Thank you."

Bakataur turned away then exited the room where Nurse Vell came in looking down toward a padd.

"Captain Sim needs a  annual check up for her eyes today." Vell said.

"She has perfect vision." Reaper said.

Vell shook her head.

"She used to have glasses before she came aboard," Vell said. "I served with her on the previous starship."

"Glasses?" Reaper asked. "There's a new kind of eye surgery for that problem."

"She is a technophobe." Vell said.

"I must be the luckiest man in the universe." Reaper sarcastically said, with a shake of his head then began to prepare for Sim's eye exam.


	11. Oh no

Going through stubborn Klingons and Romulans attempting  to exploit the scientists for their new genetical inventions was a handful least Reaper can say. Being the Olduvai II was not as boring as he had expected it to be in the last two months. There were plenty of scientifical 'accidents', electronical backfiring, and pure 'just accidents'. At one point he had to do a blood transfusion between a Klingon and Romulan just to save a Romulan's ass even despite how resistent the Romulan was to have the Klingon's blood in him. The Romulan felt as though he had betrayed his empire and shunned himself. Fortunetly, Skedule prevented the newly defected Romulan from killing himself. Skedule said some words to the Romulan that lifted his spirits and made him decide to become neutralized in Star Fleet by first becoming a Romulan Translator for Romulans who were caught and spoke Romulan but not in English.

Then one day.

One day.

When the assignment was so close to being over: an accident happened.

Some-one died.

One that made alarms go off in Reaper's mind.

* * *

Harley and Robinson towed the body onto the table.

"Who died?" Reaper asked, coming out of his office putting on a set of gloves.

Reaper's eyes landed on a mutated human like figure that disgusted him.  The arms were tentacles with suction cups underneath and the arms were slowly morphing into them. There was a hole straight in the chest. There was one eye while the other eye had been sealed shut in the mutation. There was significant scarring on the side of the body with a dark blue shirt having been torn away at the sides. There was purple blood coming from the injuries that had been suffered. There was a bite mark on the side of the neck that had spots dotting it.

"Ensign Lewis Clain." Harley said.

Reaper came over to the morgue table.

The hair had fallen out and there was cracks in the skull that seemed to be fading in time. The skin had changed to a shade of blue that disgusted him. Harley lowered her head, putting one hand on Robinson's shoulder. Reaper motioned to them to leave the room and suggested they clean themselves up. Robinson made the comment that they had to end the project. The way it sounded made chills go down Reaper's skin. Harley took her hand off Robinson's shoulder then lifted her head up with tears in the corners of her eyes.

Harley and Robinson left.

Reaper noted there were dots along the cranium being different shades.

Reaper sat down into the chair then began to do the autopsy in the morgue.

"Note the end tips of the tentacles have what seems to be claws," Reaper said, recording the autopsy. "The genitalia has. . . "  He paused looking down at the the exposed lower parts. "There is no penis. The penis is missin'. The only part that remains is the scrotum." He shuddered. "Which is quite odd for a _accident._ The rate of mutation indicates the infection had began to occur, I estimate, one hour and thirty-two minutes though I cannot be sure. Everyone has a different rate of mutation. Referrin' to the book on _Hell Mary_ regardin'  the mutation underwent by Joseph Theron."

 _This is not right,_ the marine side of Reaper insisted.

 _Of course it is,_ his doctor side had replied.

 _They are doing it again!,_ the marine side insisted.

 _Doing what?,_ the doctor side inquired.

 _THEY ARE REVISITING C-24!_ , the marine side insisted.

 _Oh calm down!,_ the doctor side said. _  
_

_This involves the both of us, doctor._

_We cannot be mutated, marine._

_We cannot allow what happened on Olduvai to happen again._

_This doesn't involve a additional chromosome. It is different._

_What if they made a mistake this time with the genetics of a human being and a octopus?_

_Mistakes can be corrected._

_They can be wiped out.  Just like Olduvai._

_SHUT UP ABOUT OLDUVAI!  
_

_Are we going to allow more people to die before we act on it?,_ His marine side gestured over to the body on the table, _Before we destroy their experiment for them? Just look at this kid._ Reaper stared at the young man. _He used to be human and now he is not. Gods know what it can do when all those scientists are attempting to euthanize it!_

_They are quite capable of taking care of it, the doctor side replied._

_It is going to happen again, the marine side said, and more people are going to die._

Reaper saw the left tentacle move on the table. Alarms went off in his head as he got up  from the chair in front of the table. Reaper stepped back then felt along the wall for the phaser holder in the morgue. He could hear a heart beat coming to. What the hell? The body had not 'died'. It was frightening the doctor. A fully grow man. He had been in hell, seen hell, and went through hell. This was the most frighting sign of all. It was like a human body had become a zombie.

His hand hit the intercomn.

"McCoy to the bridge." Reaper said.

"Sim here." Sim said.

"It is not dead." Reaper said.

The body got up halfway with a mouth disappearing on the face.

"What is not dead?" Sim asked.

The head turned in the direction of Reaper.

"Lewis Clain." Reaper said as the arm moved sliding the tools of trade to the floor with a clatter.

"Doctor?" Sim said.

The dead's eyes quickly darted in the direction of Reaper then lunged itself at him. Reaper darted out of the way landing on the floor. The octopus mutated human being stood up on its two tentacle parts acting as legs with tentacles appearing on the back side balancing it up. The last remaining of the shirt fell off. Where there had been a nose seemed to mold down into the slimey, disgusting octopus like body that lunged at him. The intercomn had been  destroyed roughly completely. Crackily sounds came out of the machine.

The octopus glared at the direction of Reaper.

Reaper's eyes darted to the knife on the tray beside the morgue.

 _I have to risk it_ , Reaper thought.

Reaper ran for the tray. The octopus being slammed him against the wall propping him up and its new tentacles wrapped around him. Long sharp husks dug into Reaper's body and what felt like teeth embedded themselves into his feet. He kicked into the octopuses mouth then smacked his hands against the octopuses head. He could feel himself sliding down. Last resort. BITING.

Reaper bit into the head of the octopus (which disgusted him, no-less) making him be sent crashing against the table knocking over the tray to the floor. He caught the longer blade  with his free hand. His legs had healed quickly as the beast had eaten at them. He didn't have  shoes on because his previous leg had been eaten. Last time he lost a leg, it took four years for it to regrow. That had to be something. The octopus lunged right at Reaper who turned it around and aimed it at the octopus with his thumb wrapped around the handle.

"Come and eat me, you little fucker!" Reaper shouted.

* * *

Prior to the events of today, Reaper had Max be sent through a cargo ship to the _Enterprise_ rest assured it would be in safer hands. It was a science vessel and he loved that tribble to bits. Despite what Bakataur had said about the fine hair follicles that still did not change Reaper's stance on it. The security guard sped to the morgue where the octopus had turned in their direction, now no longer standing on its hind feet. The skin had turned completely blue. There were dark spots dotting along the beast.

Frankly this terrified the men and women standing in the doorway.

Without hesitation they fired on it.

It kept going.

"RETREAT!" Security Officer Charles Vance shouted.

They ran down the hall being chased by the octopus. They came to a dead end and the small group of four turned in the direction of the octopus frightened for their lives. Vance watched the octopus come to a stop in its tracks. Something inside started to poke inside it moving the skin upwards in different directions. The tip of a blade poked out at the top across from the eye. There were gasps escaping  from the officers as the hole was made enlarged. Out of it came Reaper coated in blood.

"He is dead," Reaper said. "Now someone help me the hell out of here!"

* * *

The door to the science lab burged then it flew open revealing Harley on the run with a terrified facial expression. There were beasts from behind her that seemed to be in the middle of mutation. Other people in lab coats followed after her as their legs lost their distinctive foot shape. They fell to the floor with little rounded bulbs appearing under the white lab coats.

Harley slapped the red button under the intercomn.

"Emergency evacuation for all science staff and everyone on board!" Harley shouted. "Code two-two-Hell-Mary-B!" A tentacle wrapped around her mouth yanking her away from the intercomn. "MMMH!"

Harley vanished from the screen.

* * *

 _Olduvai II_ was on red alert.

"Captain, regulations sat that we must evacuate in the case of a viral and deadly contagion."

"There is no contagion aboard my ship, Skedule," Sim said, pressing a button that closed off shuttle bay from the remaining scientists and personnel who hadn't escaped. Reaper's hand was cut off thanks to the closing (and he regrew it five minutes later). "Captain Sim to the remaining staff on board: that was a hoax you have heard. Please return to your stations."

"Captain?" Communications officer, John Henry, said.

"Take the ship off red alert," Sim said. "I am the captain of this ship, not the scientists."

John Henry was baffled, hearing the screams through the ear piece of the-to-the-contrary-there-is-a-living-threat-screams of the officers.

"Aye aye, captain." Henry said, turning back toward his station.

Skedule looked over to the empty science station then back to his commanding officer.

"What if you are wrong that there is not a threat?" Skedule asked.

"I am never wrong." Sim replied.

"That is a little arrogant, captain." Skedule noted.

"You know how rarely I am wrong." Sim said.

"Forty-six point two percent." Skedule said.

"Besides," Sim said. "If there is any problem, the security personnel are perfectly capable of taking care of it."

There were logical and perfect grounds for a mutiny to occur against Sim, at least in Skedule's perspective.

* * *

Security officer Janet Blanch screamed as the tentacles grabbed onto her ankles and dragged her down the hall out of the reach of Vance.

"Blanch!" Vance shouted.

"Help meeeee!" Blanch's scream was carried down the hall.

Reaper grabbed the man by the arm.

"You are goin' to kill yourself goin' after her," Reaper said. "Do somethin' good instead of goin' after her. She is dead."

"What do you expect I do?" Vance shouted at him. "Stand by and and watch my girlfriend die? No! I am not that kind of--"

"Tell me where the knives are, and the swords," Reaper said. "Because we are going octopus hunting to the bridge.  To be the best boyfriend there is: you must do somethin' good in her name like the Klingons do for the dead who died without honor. She will understand. You don't have the weapons now to get her and nor do I." He wigged his knife. "I just have a morgue knife."

Vance's hands loosened from their fist shape.

"So. .  avenging her." Vance said.

Reaper slapped him.

"No!" Reaper said. Vance rubbed the side of his face. "Not what I am talking about. Captain Sim will need a good old court-martial in the end. It was her fault. Let her live with that." He looked over to see Bakataur coming with the remaining scientists in their blue uniforms lacking their white lab coats holding equipment that was otherwise sharp and covered in purple blood. "If you want to avenge her, then aid with me on mutinying against the captain. Everyone must get to the bridge."

"Mutiny," Vance said. "That is the best idea I heard today."

Bakataur was panting, with a bite mark on the side of her neck, though she did not appear to be mutating.

"We must get to the captain and kill the mutants on the way!"  Bakataur said.

"We are scientists, not cowards!" Came a scientist from behind holding a large item that resembled a needle in one arm.

"What do we call ourselves?" Vance asked. "The captain busters?"

"Captain busters!" The small group of scientists repeated.

"Good god. Now they won't stop gloating about it," Reaper rubbed his forehead then he saw the octopus beings headed their way. "The turbo lift is right in that direction."

"And so are the blades." Vance said.

"When a captain is unfairly not allowing an evacuation, who are you gonna call?" Ensign Blake Lively asked.

They faced in the direction of the mutants headed their way.

"CAPTAIN BUSTERS!" The scientists shouted.


	12. Nearly to the end

The turbo lift dinged. Out came a small group of furious people covered in a mix of red and purple blood. Vance held a long blade in one hand  with scars along his forearm and his face twisted up in fury. Sim turned the chair in the direction of the turbo lift watching the small group of survivors come in. Reaper was among them and so was Bakataur.

"I hereby relieve you of command," Reaper said. "You are unfit for duty, Sim."

"I am fit for duty and your orders are pointless because I am  still the captain of this ship!" Sim stood up. "What happened to you?"

The turbo lift doors closed behind the small group of angry crew members. The doors came back up for two, panicked, frightened men holding onto each other trembling. They came out landing on the floor then sealed the door shut using their phasers. Reaper and the mutinee's had angry faces.

"You happened," Reaper said. "Cuff her, Officer Vance and Officer Griswald."

The two men dropped their weapons and came over to the captain, where Vance had a pair of stasis cuffs in his hands. Skedule did nothing to prevent this watching his captain be cuffed.

"Henry, send a emergency message on the remaining decks and instruct those who are still alive to  get to Med Bay . . . If there are any at all." Reaper said.

"Aye aye, captain." Henry said, turning back toward his station.

Reaper came over to the captain's chair.

"Commander!" Sim said. "Why are you doing nothing? I am still your captain!"

"I was once in your seat and I made a mistake easily as yours but more personal," Skedule said. "You have made a great error. For that, you should easily face the consequences and since Lieutenant Commander has relieved you, he is the new captain not you."

"Why you traiterous bastard!" Sim shouted  as they had her seated into the nearby empty chair and cuffed her ankles together.

"Mr Hollow," Reaper said. "Get us to the point where we are scheduled to meet up with the Enterprise."

"Aye aye, captain," Hollow said. "Warp eight."

The _Olduvai II_ vanished into space leaving a trail of yellow dust in the background.

* * *

The screen brightened to life to display the young and still alive, but healthy, captain Kirk with the Vulcan Spock beside him and his arms behind his back. The bridge of the Olduvai II was dark but not enough to make one not see the one sitting in the seat properly. Kirk's eyes went up in surprise at the sight of his friend. Spock's eyebrow went up.

"Bones?" Kirk said. "Why are you in the captain's chair?"

Reaper sighed.

"Mutiny." Reaper said.

The Vulcan raised an eyebrow.

"You mutineyed against the captain?" Reaper nodded. "There must be a logical reason on doing so."

Bakataur and Vance came on the screen.

"We created a monster. There was an accident. We were experimenting with aquatic-humanoid life forms to see if there was a possibility that we can still retain our human form and live underwater without a hassle. We were studying evolution. Our test subject infected almost everyone and turned them into mutants. Those who were not turned into mutants have unknown side effects. We were evacuating the ship when the captain closed off the shuttle bay and relayed that the most sincere and strictly written evacuation protocol was a hoax. We promptly worked together, killed thirty-two mutants, and made it to the bridge. We are all that is left of the crew including the ones off screen. We would like to be beamed aboard to the quarantined section of the _Enterprise_ and this ship be destroyed properly."

"And the captain be sent to the brig." Vance added.

"Kaptain, I detect a Romulan on the ship." Chekov said, finding that odd.

"Oh, he is very harmless," Bakataur said. "He is with us."

* * *

Reaper walked into Med Bay hearing the heart beats of the nurses. It felt so good to be home. He had seen Olduvai II be destroyed. Bakataur promised to him that they will not make recreate the octopus experiment. He was in a clean light blue shirt and black jeans. He felt right at home here. The bright lighting of the halls was something to readjust to including the transporter. At first he had to shield his eyes after stepping off but once his eyes adjusted to the scenery he was caught into a bear hug by Kirk.

At least, that is what happened in the transporter room.

"M'Benga!" Reaper called. "I am baaaack."

He had to be in his office, he knew the android too well. He was likely pouring a glass of bourbon for the man. Nurse Chapel was by the side of a patient regarding a thumb they had broken. She seemed to be brightened up at the sight of the familiar man. The patient had a relieved sigh. Which was odd. Their moods were worried, concern, and grief. He came into the office to see that there was no one there. He heard a heart beat matching his own enter the office as he was beside the desk.

"I am sorry to be the bearer of bad news, Doctor Grimm," Spock said. "But your friend Dorian died in our last mission on a planet where a man named Doctor Todd Carmack was illegally experimenting with Klingon chromosomes and human chromosomes. Dorian was killed by a Klingon mutant that resembled a very . . . odd. . . beast that the captain referred to as 'Wildmutt without furr'. The only recognizable features were the forehead crest and the skin tone."

Reaper stepped forward.

"You smell different, Spock." Reaper said.

"Dorian died pulling me away from the Klingon mutant when I lacked both of my arms," Spock continued. "The captain was beamed to the Enterprise upon my request to bring Carmack to  justice." Reaper's eyes widened. "Apparently I lost too much blood. When  I awoke, I was staring at his face looming over me, and he had a hypospray in one hand. Oddly, I could not feel my body parts. I was sure I was dying.  Then he applied it to my neck. I lost consciousness shortly afterwards. I awoke with my regrown body parts close to Dorian's body. He was . . . unsalvageable. I grieve with thee." Tears appeared around the doctor's eyes. "I was able to find Carmack  close by after getting a new pair of pants and requested a emergency beaming to the Enterprise. Doctor Carmack, unfortunately, was immortal."  
  
"And where is he?" Reaper asked, wiping off the tears. 

"Star Fleet would not say what they did with him. . ." _Our scene shows Carmack in a parallel universe being whipped by a man with a dark item over his head surrounded by people of all races. There was a goatee version of Spock beside Leonard McCoy staring at the older man in anguish. Carmack's wounds healed, instantly, and they were reinflicted as he screamed with hands bound above his head_.  "But I do know is that for  the rest of his lifetime he will be punished beyond the means Star Fleet normally can."

_We see Carmack be put into a machine that draws him close to the sun where he heals and burns, for a eternity, with metal that cannot melt. It lowers an inch every year toward the sun and starships zip past him as he screams for mercy. And for the help that he will never ever get._

"So you are . . . . a immortal like me." Reaper said.

Spock nodded, gravely.

"Nyota does not know." Spock said.

"You gotta tell her." Reaper said.

"She has to have clearance. Star Fleet knows and so does Jim." Spock said.

"You are a Vulcan, I am pretty she'll figure it out on her own. Vulcans are supposed to age." Reaper said.

Spock closed his eyes, briefly, momentarily showing pain.

"Our bond broke when I unexpectedly died during the transformation and came back." Spock said.

"So?' Reaper asked.

"She did not know it would hurt her head as it would." Spock said.

"How is she now?" Reaper asked.

"Better, however, we are still close." Spock said. 

"If you are going to marry her--" Reaper started to say but Spock cut him off.

"That is out of the question." Spock said.

"What?" Reaper said,in surprise.

"She does not want me to be in pain when she dies," Spock explained. "So we mended the wound I left in her mind and we have not reconstructed the bond."

"I am sorry, Spock," Reaper said, in pity. "You should never have been made immortal."

"On the bright side," Spock said. "I have someone I can relate to."

Reaper cracked a smile.

"That you do," Reaper said. "But Jim. . ." The smile faded. "Two of his friends immortal now? That has to hurt."

"But not as much as you belong with me." Spock said.

"I didn't take you for a flirty Vulcan." Reaper said, feeling his cheeks redden.

"That came out wrong." Spock said.

"The hell it did." Reaper said.

"What I meant to say is: long as you are with me, I am very sure it won't hurt at all for Jim." Spock said.


	13. Where you belong

A young David Kirk is seen at a bar twirling a pen on the counter on a bar stool. There were some Klingons in the room mixed with human beings sharing drinks, getting along, far from the sulking boy. David leaned up looking up toward the bartender, a Vulcan no less, glaring down at the boy.  It wasn't more of a glare since the bar tender is emotionless (Or at least he claims to be emotionless, he has kicked out several underage drinkers and shouted at them for being illogical while they skimpered away).

"Hello, kid." Came a voice to his side sitting down alongside him.

David looked over in the direction of the man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties.

"Uh, do I know you?"

"My great-grandfather knew your great-grandfather."

David raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, sure." He reached his hand out for a glass handed to him by the Vulcan then he took a sip and he spat it out. "What the hell is this?  Orange juice?"

David glared in the direction of the Vulcan Bartender.

"Logically. You are underage." The Vulcan Bartender said.

"But I am twenty!" David said.

"You are not twenty-one." The Vulcan Bartender said.

"Damn you Vulcans." David said.

"Actually, I used to be that way not too long ago about them. My name is Leonard McCoy, Junior."

David turned his head in the direction of the older man.

"Wait, your great-grandfather is _that_ man?" David asked.

McCoy nodded.

"Hell yes." McCoy said.

"Oh my god, he is legendary. My dad told me stories about how granddad would go with grandpa to save the universe and the world namely from a probe that spoke whale, a omnipotent entity who tried to trick the ambassador to turning everyone into frogs but they intervened, and the time they rescued Henry Mudd and a bunch of other people from a starship that was set to explode with Ambassadors." A very un-Vulcan smile grew on the Vulcan's face listening to the notable mentions. "Oh, and that one time they went into the alternate universe to get back what they had lost being Captain Pavel Chekov from being killed by a guy named Khan Noonien Singh. That other time where they rescued a race of space jellyfish with the Enterprise D crew from becoming energy slaves in some time constrictive pathway. I think they did this through a wormhole. There was this other time where they fought space pirates with light sabers! My great-grandfather was especially skilled in something called--"

"The force." McCoy said.

David snapped his fingers.

"Yes, that!" David said. "They claimed he was a Jedi Knight but it turned out that his friend Spock was the one skilled in the force and had let everyone think it was my great-grandfather." He shook his head with a laugh. "That was the best bed time story my mother told me about grandpa." He had a sad sigh. "Too bad he died in the attack Locutus staged." He took a sip from the drink then lowered it. "I never got to meet him. He was busy exploring space with your great-grandfather while my mother was growing up."

"My great-grandfather was there when he died," McCoy said. "I heard he died a happy man."

"Doing what he loved." David said.

"Healing people." McCoy said.

"Exploring."   David said.

"Is it me or did he just go to make sure your great-grandfather didn't get himself killed?" McCoy asked.

"Seems like it." David said.

"Wasn't your mother a Klingon?" McCoy said. "You look so well blended between human and Klingon for a hybrid."

David had a short lived smile.

"I took a human name when I was eighteen," David said. "Swarlth is too. . . alien." He rolled an eye. "I have a small forehead crest and I have been told I resemble my great-grandfather."

"Have you considered joinin' Star Fleet?" McCoy said.

"I don't know about that," David said. "My father is a respective engineer and my mother is a respective Klingon Admiral. . ." He looked over toward the man. "I mean space is a wonderful thing. But I am afraid I will screw up royally and will not be the great grandson that James T. Kirk would be proud of."

McCoy raised an eyebrow.

"You are concerned about your great-grandfather's thoughts on you?" McCoy asked.

"Yes." David said.

"Listen, kid," McCoy said. "Where you belong is on a starship. Just because your parents did somethin' great does not mean you can't do it better." He frowned. "In fact I am challengin' you to do better than him!" The Vulcan bartender came back handing McCoy a glass of bourbon. McCoy took a sip and put the glass down. "In four years, the _Enterprise_ , no letters, no number, is goin' deeper into the Delta  Quadrant than the Voyager did. The brightest minds are goin' there! And I expect you to go where  no Kirk has gone before. Your great-grandfather and my great-grandfather never went that far makin' new first contacts. I am on shore leave right now as a lieutenant. I am working my way to getting on that ship. Because that is where I belon'. It has been too long since a McCoy has been aboard a Enterprise. Too long since a Kirk hasn't been on a Enterprise. Have a McCoy and Kirk on the newest Enterprise model? Then the voyage is set to go. A ten year mission. Where no man has gone before."

"I will gladly take that challenge," David said. "Long as there is no Vulcans."

"You obviously cannot avoid a race that has been around for the past one thousand years." The Vulcan Bartender said.

"I can promise you this Vulcan won't be the one assigned to the starship." McCoy said.

"I accept your challenge." David got up with a determined look on his face then exited the room.

"You cannot keep promises, Leonard." The Vulcan bartender looked down upon the human.

"Sssh, he doesn't know that." McCoy said, shaking his hand, then took a sip from the glass.

"He reminds me a lot like Jim." The Vulcan bartender said.

McCoy put the glass down.

"The similarities are striking," McCoy said. "With those blue eyes of his."

"Who else will be assigned to the starship?" The Vulcan bartender poured a drink for a Deltan.

"I don't know," McCoy said. "I have  no idea, Spock," He shook his head. "I don't _want_ to know."

"That would be called deception indicating  that he will get on board the  Enterprise," The Vulcan bartender said. "And luring him into a career that might not be the one he would want."

"I accept those risks when I came here," McCoy said. "The recruitment shuttle is goin' to leave off today to the academy. Somethin' big will have to happen to make him a captain, big enough like Nero or a omnipotent entity makin' himself known at some cost to Star Fleet. Anythin' really to get him into the captain's chair. There is no doubt in my mind he will be given the chair after takin' the Kathryn Tuvok  test."

The Vulcan nodded.

"I miss the golden days." The Vulcan bartender said.

"I do too." McCoy said.

The Vulcan bartender looked up in the direction of McCoy.

"What was Jim's last words before he died?" The Vulcan bartender asked.

A question he had never asked the doctor for the past forty years.

"Make sure Spock doesn't go on a rampage, Bones. Goodbye." McCoy said.

The Vulcan briefly closed his eyes, putting one hand on the counter and made the intents of his fingers.

"At least we're luckier than your counterpart," McCoy said. "God rest his soul.  He did the sacrifice of saving Romulus with his life. I never thought Nero would come out like that in the wormhole." The Vulcan bartender looked in the direction of the doctor. "I offered to do it for him. He flatly refused."

"It seems he refused both our offers." The Vulcan bartender said, in a low voice.

"At least he lived long and prospered." McCoy said.

"Perhaps he still does." The Vulcan bartender said.

McCoy met the Vulcan bartender's eyes.

"Star Fleet would gladly reinstate your commission, Spock." McCoy took the Vulcan's hand and squeezed it.

"I will consider it." The Vulcan bartender said.

"Uhura would have wanted you to continue being you," McCoy let go. "Not a nameless Vulcan Bartender. I understand your heart was broken and all that after her death . . . " He got up from the bar stool then took a sip of the bourbon from the glass. "But for being a immortal. . . You never quite get over a death like that."

"Then how are you still serving?" The Vulcan bartender asked.

"It is what Samantha would have wanted," McCoy said. "One day, the universe will have to let me die. That's the day I look forward to every morning."

McCoy slid forward the glass leaving a salt shaker version of the _Enterprise_ on the table then walked away. The Vulcan bartender felt nostalgia looking down upon the beaten up salt shaker that was modified and upgraded of the Enterprise that was still in construction. It was slated to be completed in the near future after four years. He looked over to see two underage girls coming in with boys. 

_Illogical._

* * *

**. . .Four years later. . .**

**. . .Enterprise.  . .**

"My name is Spock." Spock said.

"Like the Vulcan?" David asked.

"Affirmative," Spock said. "Like the  Vulcan. Permission to come aboard, captain?"

"Permission granted." David said, greeting the man coming off the transporter padd.

Spock had undergone genetic surgery to hide the fact that he was a Vulcan namely being the eyebrows and the ears. He had bushy eyebrows by now that didn't go upwards.  He was the science officer assigned to the ship. The first officer was George Michell. Chief Medical Officer was Leonard Horatio McCoy, Junior. The communications officer was Lieutenant James Watten. Navigator was Whitney Stronghurst and the helmsmen was Jacklyn Sulu. So many things had changed in Star Fleet over the recent hundred years namely being the bridge on various starships. But the thankful part for Spock was that they made this reborn version of the _Enterprise_ a _Constitution_ class. He felt like time had frozen, right to the second, upon getting off the transporter padd. The Lieutenant Commander, in charge of the transporter and engines, were Sarah Scotts who looked up with a cheesy smile and a little monkey on her shoulder wearing a matching red shirt.

"Welcome to the Enterprise, Mr Spock!" Scotts said.

Spock felt right at home coming back to the Enterprise.

"So," David said. "Was your father Captain Spock by any chance? I mean, I heard he had children with Commander Uhura."

A very un-Vulcan smile grew on his face.

"Great-grandson," Spock said. "My mother insisted I grow up like a Vulcan. But I rebelled and grew up more human."

A smile grew on the young man's face.

"You remind me of a Vulcan I knew at a bar." David said.

"Vulcans do not look alike regarding their hair style like Klingons with their foreheads." Spock said, hands behind his back (a old habit that has not gone away).

"That is true." David said, as they went out the transporter room.

They went down the hall talking about the academy and how it shaped them to the people they were today. Spock was easily impressed about David's experiences that were different. He did not cheat on the Kathryn Tuvok exam and failed it much as the previous cadets did only his friend Jacklyn Sulu insisted to do it again. The next time David passed, much to the man's surprise, and Sulu was given a trial for cheating on it. They awarded her a accommodation, afterwards, for her incredible and original thinking. She later apologized to him with a box of sweets and make out sex.

They came onto the bridge.

"And then I slapped him right in the face!" Sulu finished her story to the listeners who gave a laugh.

McCoy snickered.

"I am glad David met you." McCoy said, leaning against the rail.

"Good to see you again, McCoy," David said. "Are you ready for the next ten years of your life?"

Spock went over to his station.

"I believe my great-grandfather said to yours regarding it: god help me."  McCoy  hypoed Sulu for  a nonexistent space allergy.

"Ow!" Sulu said, rubbing her neck as the doctor  walked away.

"Miss Sulu, take us away." David said. 

"Aye,captain." Sulu said.

Spock was transported, mentally, back to 2258 shortly after the crew was assigned to the Enterprise and the ship was sent off into space. He could remember being beside the captain's chair with one hand holding a pad behind his back. He had a perfect memory, able to recall everything he had done and went through. This memory perhaps? It was one of the ones he treasured. True he never did say goodbye to James Kirk  the last time they met. They were reassured they would see each other again. He had saved his friends life from being taken into the Nexus.

 _"Where should we go?_ " _Jim asked, his bright blue eyes looking off in the direction of Spock._

" _As a mission of this duration has never been attempted," Spock replied. "I defer to your good judgement, captain._ "

Our view goes outside the Enterprise.

 _"Space..."_ Came James  T. Kirk's voice. _"The final frontier."_ The view flew around the large nacelles, the rounded and more sleeker saucer section, and the shuttle bay window being a bit more wider than before. _"These are the voyages of the starship_ Enterprise _."_ The _screen returned to the top seeing the text 'NCC-1710_ _Enterprise'. "Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds..."_ They were at the edge of the Alpha quadrant  stationed alongside a star base. The nacelles powered up. _"To seek out new life forms and new civilizations..."_ The  _Enterprise_ bolted into space leaving behind a trail of blue particles behind. _"To boldly go where no one has gone before_."

_**DEDICATED TO LEONARD NIMOY.** _

_**1931 - 2015.** _

_**He lived long and prospered.** _

**The End**.


End file.
